Follow These Four Steps To Stop Nursing Home Abuse

Elder abuse in nursing home is one of the most serious problems in the United States of America. Every year, thousands of such incidents take place. Therefore, it is very important for people, especially those how have their loved ones living in nursing homes, to know how to stop nursing home abuse. There are certain laws on both federal and state level that you must be aware of. The residents of nursing homes have been given certain legal rights. Neglect is probably the most common form of abuse that takes place in these facilities, but there are legal provisions to take actions against the same. First of all, you must have a clear understanding what neglect really means in legal terms. If a nursing facility is not providing adequate care to its residents as promised, it is guilty of negligence. In extreme cases of neglect, several other types of abuses are also often involved, such as emotional and physical abuse. Following are the four basic steps that you can take in order to file a complaint against any such abuse.

Proof Of Abuse

When it comes to filing complaint in order to stop nursing home abuse, the first thing you have to do is to gather proof of evidence. Even though you have no proof and your case is genuine, you can still file the complaint. But, your case will be considered as more credible if you have proof. There can be different types of proofs that you can present with your complaint, such as unexplained injuries to the victim. Sometimes, the abuse is not visible. There may not be sign of any physical abuse, but if you have noticed negative changes in behavior and personality of the victim, you can use it as proof.

File A Complaint With The Nursing Home

There is a step by step procedure when it is about filing complaint to stop nursing home abuse. You can start by filing a complaint with the administrator of the nursing home. It is possible that the person in charge of the nursing facility is not aware of the incident. When you file a complaint in writing, it is a proof that the administrator is well aware of the abuse. Wait to see what kind of actions they take to solve the problem.

File An FIR With The Police

If the person in charge does not take adequate actions to stop the problem even after you did your best to bring their attention to the incident, you can go ahead and file an FIR with the police. Notify the administrator in advance that you are going to file an FIR. Also, send them a copy of the FIR.

Call A Nursing Home Abuse Hotline

You can also call a hotline number to file a complaint to stop nursing home abuse. You can find the number applicable in your state by visiting the official website of the National Center on Elder Abuse. If you are unable to locate a number applicable in your state, you can simply call at 1-800-677-1116. Do not call after 8 pm or before 9 am. When you give a call, the representative out there will guide you on how to proceed with your complaint. They will let you know about the different places in your area where you can report the abuse. It is important to note that this service is not available on weekends (Saturday and Sunday).

If the abuse is a very serious one and you believe that your loved one or anybody (who you know) residing in a nursing home is in immediate danger, you should straightaway give a call at 911. Overall, as you can see, it is a step by step procedure when it comes to filing a complaint to stop nursing home abuse.